THE David Shepherd Cricket Trust has helped 26 coaches earn their level two awards with grants towards course costs.

Any club affiliated to the DCB can put coaches through course run by the coach education team.

And any club in Devon can apply to the David Shepherd Cricket Trust for a grant towards the total cost of the course.

The DSCT offered a £100 contribution towards course costs to any club whose coach would be working with young players.

Clubs all over the county, from Abbotskerwell to Yelverton and Bideford to Seaton, took advantage of the offer.

The only condition attached was that beneficiaries become members of the David Shepherd Cricket Trust themselves – a bargain at just £10 a year.

The total amount of grants paid out by Trust treasurer Gavin Lane was £2,600.

The Trust and its forerunner the Devon Youth Cricket Foundation has been running for nearly 10 years. Over that time they have supporter coach education every year.

“This has been a consistent award since we first started, our logic being the new coach equals someone helping young people to get into and get on in cricket, which is very much our policy,” said Lane.

Matt Theedom, the development manager for Devon Cricket, said: “We are very grateful to the David Shepherd Cricket Trust for their generous support of Devon Cricket and coaching in particular.”

The clubs to benefit from the award are: Abbotskerswell; Alphington Wear; Bideford, Littleham & Westward Ho!; Chagford; Exeter; Filleigh; Hatherleigh; Ipplepen; Ivybridge; Lewdown; North Devon; Paignton; Plympton; Plymstock; Seaton; Sidmouth; South Devon; Topsham St James; Woodbury; Yelverton Bohemians.

The David Shepherd Cricket Trust is a charity set up in memory of the former Devon and Gloucestershire cricketer who found greater fame as a First Class and Test match umpire. He died in 2009.

The Trust exists to support the development of young cricketers of all abilities through coaching and other opportunities. It generally does not make grants for kit or equipment.

To become a member of the David Shepherd Cricket Trust and support youth cricket in Devon, click here

To apply for a grant visit this page